Experts applaud Trump for firing of 'out-of-step' Tillerson and bringing clarity to his China and North Korea policies – and they say McMaster could be next
Tillerson was criticised early in his tenure for his comment that he was hoping for a US-China relationship with ‘no conflict’ and ‘win-win cooperation’ – running counter to the hard line Trump had taken with Beijing
US President Donald Trump’s firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was lauded by former US policymakers as a move that will bring more clarity to an administration faulted for sending mixed signals on its approach to China and nuclear tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Analysts also said replacement of Trump’s top diplomat with loyalist CIA Director Mike Pompeo might presage the firing of US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster as the president continues to fill foreign policy-related posts with people he is closer to.
Some expect John Bolton, Washington’s “hawkish” former United Nations envoy, to take McMaster’s place.
“During Tillerson’s visit to China, he seemed to be out of step with Trump,” Stephen Orlins, president of the National Committee on US-China Relations, told the South China Morning Post in an interview.
“He really was looking for a very positive, constructive relationship [with China], whereas Trump was looking for cooperation on North Korea but also looking for really tough trade actions.”
Pompeo is “apparently very, very smart”, said Orlins, who held several positions in the US state department, including assistant legal adviser for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.
“I think he should be able to understand how China works and understand the benefits that the United States gets from constructive relations.”